Soprano Ha My and opera concert connect audiences with classical music

Hà My, one of Vietnam's most powerful young sopranos, is gradually asserting her position in the classical music scene. With a voice that is considered "rare" and with outstanding inner strength by experts, she has made a special mark in opera art - a musical genre that is still facing many challenges in Vietnam. The concert "Insieme", the first concert of Hà My's career, is a testament to the passion and relentless determination of the young singer on her journey to conquer the pinnacle of art.

Rare and promising voice

Unlike many opera artists who were oriented early on, Ha My started her musical career with a love for pop and folk music. After graduating from Hanoi College of Arts, she decided to continue her studies at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, where she first came into contact with classical music.

When listening to her seniors practicing chamber and opera songs, Ha My realized the magical difference in the resonant sound and deep emotions of this music genre. From curiosity, she gradually turned to love and decided to pursue opera - even though she knew that this was a difficult path, both in terms of art and career opportunities in Vietnam.

During her first years at the Academy, Ha My encountered many difficulties when switching from singing pop music to classical vocal techniques. However, thanks to the dedicated guidance of her teachers and her own efforts, she gradually found her own sound and style. The first achievement came when Ha My graduated as valedictorian with perfect scores, becoming an outstanding singer among young artists.

Ha My and People's Artist Quoc Hung

Ha My's artistic journey has not only been recognized through the development of her performance techniques but also affirmed through a series of prestigious awards at home and abroad. In 2023, Ha My won the first prize in Group B at the National Chamber Singing - Musical Competition, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. This is the most prestigious competition in the country for classical music artists.

She also won second prize at the Royal Mass International Music Competition in 2023, surpassing many international competitors to make her name on the golden board of a major playground. Previously, in 2022, Ha My excellently won the Gold Medal at the Kyushu Music Competition in Japan, where she proved her outstanding talent in the international arena.

The special thing that makes Ha My famous is her strong voice with powerful, far-reaching sound, capable of filling the performance space without the support of a microphone. This is an important technical requirement in opera, especially when performing at large theaters or specialized stages.

However, such a loud, thick and resonant voice is not only a gift from nature but also requires a hard training process to control and shape. Ha My shared: "A strong sound is not only about strength but also about technique. This requires many years of practice to create the right sound while still maintaining the subtlety of emotions".

Ha My is considered by experts to have a rare voice with a loud, thick and powerful sound, following in the footsteps of her predecessors such as Meritorious Artist Ha Pham Thang Long.

Nguyen Ha My won first prize in the 2023 National Chamber - Musical - Choir Singing Competition

People's Artist Quang Tho, the teacher of many artists, affirmed that Ha My overcame initial difficulties to achieve success thanks to her diligence and strong passion for classical music. People's Artist Quoc Hung, who directly instructed Ha My in the graduate program, also shared that her singing voice is rare and promising. According to him, to master a strong and powerful voice, it requires not only talent but also a process of arduous practice and hard work.

"Insieme": The first mark in Ha My's opera career

The opera concert “Insieme”, held at the Grand Concert Hall of the Vietnam National Academy of Music on the evening of November 29, is the first solo performance of Ha My’s career. Not only is it an opportunity for her to introduce her voice to the public, “Insieme” also has the meaning of honoring Giacomo Puccini – the great Italian composer, on the 100th anniversary of his death.

“Insieme”, meaning “together” in Italian, was inspired by the companionship between Ha My and her colleagues such as tenor Duc Tung and pianist Cong Minh. The title also symbolizes the connection between the artist and the audience in the journey to discover the beauty of classical music.

Ha My and Duc Tung.

Ha My and Duc Tung chose Puccini's famous works, such as "Nessun dorma", "O mio babbino caro", and rarely performed arias by Verismo composers such as Giordano or Catalani. This choice not only shows respect for the classics but also poses a great challenge for the two young artists, due to the complexity and high demands in expressing emotions of Verismo music.

“Chamber opera and opera art are very difficult and require a lot of ability and skills, and Ha My meets those requirements. The works Ha My performs in this concert are all difficult works, including some works that very few artists can perform. Currently, there are many positive signs about the development of opera art in Vietnam and I hope that through Ha My's concert this music genre will be more accepted by young people,” said People's Artist Quoc Hung.

In Vietnam, classical music in general and opera in particular are still a form of art that is not very popular with audiences. To reach the public, Ha My's team applied many creative measures in the concert "Insieme". The entire work was shown with Vietnamese subtitles so that the audience could understand the content clearly, along with 3D mapping background images to increase the visual effect.

Ha My shared: “We want an ordinary audience, even those listening to opera for the first time, to be able to feel its beauty. They don’t need to understand deeply, they just need to relax and accept the sound and emotions.”

In addition, the program also incorporates some stage elements such as props and character-simulating costumes to help the audience visualize the story's context more clearly. All are done in a minimalist way but still enough to create appeal and intimacy.

The path to pursuing opera in Vietnam is not easy. Ha My wanted to give up many times because of financial difficulties, limited performance opportunities, and the pressure of constant practice. She confided: “To get the right sound in classical music, it takes at least 10 years of study and practice. There were times when I felt discouraged, but my love for music pulled me back.”

Along with the challenges of performing artists, organizing an opera concert is also full of difficulties. Ha My and her team have to make great efforts to rent a standard performance space, find an audience, and ensure the highest artistic quality.

In recent years, classical music has gradually received more attention in Vietnam, thanks to investment in large-scale concerts and the participation of international artists. However, for this genre to truly develop, there needs to be more talented young artists like Ha My – those who dare to contribute and innovate.

Source: https://vov.vn/van-hoa/am-nhac/giong-ca-soprano-ha-my-va-concert-opera-ket-noi-khan-gia-voi-nhac-co-dien-post1137819.vov